Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: B.R. Ambedkar was an economist, social reformer, and political leader officiating the committee drafting of the Constitution of India. The latter took significant steps for the equality of lower caste people.
Ambedkar belonged to a Dalit caste and he became a victim of the concept of untouchability. People of higher caste discriminated against lower caste people (Dalits) and considered them tainted. Later, Ambedkar reformed various rules after becoming Law and Justice Minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: Early Life of Babasaheb
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: Ambedkar worked diligently despite being Dalit. Dalits faced tremendous discrimination during the time Ambedkar was young and they had no other option else than to live with it. This disguised the role of Dalits in society as they were not appreciated at all.
Dalits were treated much similarly to animals or sometimes even worse. Despite being a Dalit, Ambedkar never gave up on his goal and achieved top teaching at that time. Here’s how Ambedkar pursued his studies:
- In 1897, Ambedkar became the only Dalit student to enroll at Elphinstone High School. In 1907, he passed his matriculation examination and entered the school.
- In 1912, he achieved a degree in Economics and Political science from Bombay University.
- In 1916, he enrolled at the London School of Economics and started working on a doctoral thesis.
- In 1921, he completed his master’s degree and then completed his D.Sc in Economics for which he was rewarded by the University of London.
Opposition to Untouchability
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: Despite achieving top-class education, Babsaheb faced complications searching for a decent job. At first, he started to work as a tutor and accountant but later his client refused to work with him as they acknowledged that Ambedkar belonged to a Dalit caste.
Source: Google
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: He later became Professor and he had a good reputation as a student but it later turned out to be embarrassing for Ambedkar as the teachers around him didn’t even share the jug of water with him. This act of untouchability imitated a harsh impression on the pride of Dalits.
While he was practicing law in the Bombay High Court, he tried to promote education for the untouchables and stepped forward to uplift the motive of encouraging them.
By 1927, Ambedkar grew strong and decided to launch reforms against untouchability. He started by opening public water resources and later created a community of untouchables. He once led a satyagraha in Mahad where the untouchables community drew water from the main water tank of the city.
He later revolted against the classic Hindu book, Manusmriti that supported the ideology of discrimination against the untouchables. He burned several copies of Manusmriti and protested against the ambiguous ideology.
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: Ambedkar led a healthy life for the Dalits and made several rules that guided quality living for the people from lower castes. Ambedkar himself became an idol for his people by achieving these titles:
Source: Google
- Jawaharlal Nehru invited Ambedkar to serve as the Dominion of India’s Law Minister.
- In 1956, he converted to Buddhism and promoted the mass conversion of Dalits.
- Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award was posthumously conferred to B.R. Ambedkar in 1990.
Also Read: See How this Man Inspired B.R. Ambedkar